1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the prevention and treatment of disorders in humans and other animals generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to compositions and methods for prevention and treatment of disorders caused by enhanced proliferation and enhanced biosynthesis caused by cytokine growth factors.
2. Background Art
The clinical applications for chemical substances (new drugs) which block or inhibit the activity of four cytokine growth factors and their closely related chemical peptides, transforming growth factor (TGF-Beta-1), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF), will have extraordinary medicinal applications in the following major proliferative disorders: immunology (allergy, auto-immunity, immunosuppression), fibrotic lesions (all vital organs), infections of virus origin (herpes, Roux virus, etc.), tissue injuries caused by bacterial or fungal infections, and tissue injuries caused by trauma, extravasation from blood vessels or blood vessel rupture with hemorrhage into adjacent tissues, and, finally, occlusions (clots or stenosis) of blood vessels.
Each of the above conditions readily triggers massive proliferation and activation of mesenchymal or mesenchymal-like cells resulting in extensive inflammation, dislocation, and deformities of blood vessels and organ structures. These are visualized and experienced clinically in the form of disabling organ (i.e., lungs, kidneys, skin, joints, cardiac, brain, etc.) dysfunction.
A perspective of the possibilities is seen in the review articles of the role of TGF-Beta-1, along with some reference to the other growth factors as presented by Border and Noble, "Transforming Growth Factor [Beta] in Tissue Fibrosis", The New England Journal of Medicine, Nov. 10, 1994, pages 1286-1292; also, Varga and Jimenez, "Modulation of Collagen Gene Expression: Its Relation to Fibrosis in Systemic Sclerosis and Other Disorders", Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol. 122, No. 1, January 1995.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide compositions and methods for prevention and treatment of disorders caused by enhanced proliferation and enhanced biosynthesis caused by cytokine growth factors.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.